Zabarsky

In weighty dark boots and safety-pin-ribbed gloves, their hair standing out turquoise blue against the sea of black, Z Zabarsky (12) describes their own style as alternative and goth — specifically mall goth, a subculture with a Hot Topic-inspired look: chains, Tripp pants and dyed hair.

“I actually work at Hot Topic, so I get the deals and I also get to dress like this for work; it’s great,” Zabarsky said.

But whether at work, at school or at home, Zabarsky dresses so distinctively that it has become a “big part of [their] identity.”

“Whenever I don’t dress this way, people are like, ‘You look weird.’ And I’m like, ‘I know,’” Zabarsky said.

However, it was not always like this. Zabarsky developed their current style over quarantine, taking advantage of the free time to experiment.

“It’s funny, I’ll show people pictures of me [from before quarantine], and they think I’m lying to them. And then they’re like, ‘Wait you’re actually serious,’” Zabarsky said.

Drawing inspiration from the e-girl/e-boy style that was trending around the time, Zabarsky “dug deeper … and found more goth, grunge styles.”

“I scroll on the internet to see people [who dress] goth or punk, and I just take elements from them,” they said.

When school reopened, Zabarsky said it was initially nerve-racking to wear their unique aesthetic in front of peers.

“It obviously puts me out there more, so it forces me to be more selfconfident,” Zabarsky said. “[It is] ironic because, fun fact, I don’t like standing out, but I dye my hair neon colors and dress this way.”

Over time, Zabarsky has learned to disregard what others might think about their style.

“I know a lot of people that want to dress like me, but they’re too scared because they don’t want to get stares or have people say negative things about them,” they said. “But I like it … I decided that I don’t care what people think. I’m gonna do this anyway.”

Along with owning your own individual style, Zabarsky has one more very important piece of advice:

“People ask me, ‘How do you dress [well]?’ I’m like, ‘Look, you’ve got to layer things. Layers!’”

by Adriana Hazlett